Break-down loading device



Feb. 28, 1933. H, STEEL 1,899,647

Q BREAK-DOWN LOADING DEVICE Filed Sept. 29, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR J'a/wn flamer 6 $6626.

ATTORNEY-5.

Feb. 28, 1933. J. H. STEELE BREAKDOWN LOADING DEVICE Filed Sept. 29, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR J07??? Homer Steele,

QMf/w A ORNEYS.

Feb. 28, 1933. J. H. STEELE BREAK-DOWN LOADING DEVICE Filed Sept. 29, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet *1 INVENTOR J0) Homer 526626.

wg gwf/w AT 6RNEY5.

Feb. 28, 1933. J. H. STEELE 1,899,647

BREAK-DOWN LOADING DEVICE Filed Sept. 29, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 lNVENTOR (E; Jo/m Homer Sicela v' V ATTORN EY Patented Feb. 28, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

JOHN HOMER STEELE, OF WYANDOTTE, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR '10 MICHIGAN STEEL v CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE I BREAK-DOVN LOADING DEVICE Application filed September 29, 1930. Serial No. 485,019.

This invention relates to loading mech anism and particularly to such mechanism as is adapted to receive metal sheets from the rolls of a rolling mill and to arrange them in proper stacked relationship upon a platform, cradle or other device enabling their quick and easy removal from the vicinity of the mill.

Another object is the provision of a machine by means of which hot roll sheets from a rolling mill may be easily stacked in ver tical position with a minimum amount of labor.

Another object is the provision of a machine of the type described provided with a conveyor portion adapted to impart a predetermined movement to the sheet traveling over the same.

Another object is to provide a machine of 7 the type described having a conveyor portion.

extending into closely adjacent relationship with respect to the rolling mill and so arranged relative to the rest of the machine as to be quickly adjustable to handle sheets of i 1 various widths being rolled by the mill.

Another object is the provision of a machine of the type described having a substantially horizontal table portion embodying a frame pivotally associated therewith and adapted, when pivoted, to lift a sheet from it will operate upon the sheet to move it into a vertical position.

Another object is to provide a device of the type described provided with a novel means for holding such sheet in vertical position.

Another object is to provide novel means in conjunction with a machine of the type described for moving the cradle or other sheet receiving means so as to properly position it to receive the successive sheets delivered thereto.

Other objects will be apparent or will be specifically pointed out in the following specification reference being had to the accompanying drawings showing a suitable illustration ofthe present invention, and in which like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several difierent views.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a more or less diagrammatic side elevational view of my improved deviceshowing the same in operative relationship with respect to a rolling mill. 7

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine shown in Fig. l. 1

'Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional viewtaken as I i on the line 33 in Fig. 1, or onthe line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken as on the line 44 of Fig. 2 and illustrating the mounting'for the disc rollers.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 2 and illustrating certain details of construction.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 66 of Fig. 3 illustrating the construction of the arm member employed 1n securing the sheets in upright position on the cradle. 1

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 3 and illustrating the method of securing the latch members to- V p the arm members.

Fig. 8 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 88 of Fig. 3 and illustrating the spring catch for temporarily maintaining the arm in vertical position.

Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 99 of Fig. 3 and illustrating a part of the construction employed for driving the cradle platform.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary plan view of the tilting table and associated parts, the table being provided with a novel form of kick-up means for moving the breakdowns to verti cal position. 7 g

Fig. 11 is a side elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a view similar to Fig. 11 but showing a modified construction.

As is commonly known to those'skilled in the art, in the rolling of metal sheets the metal is first brought to the rolls or mill in lengths approximately corresponding to the width of the desired sheet to be rolled. The

blank is then successively passed through the rolls, and the rolls are gradually brought closer to each other, the .blank in the meantime being flattened and lengthened toward its ultimate shape. Where the sheets are formed of iron or steel, or like metal, it is necessary that the blanks be suitably heated before being operated upon in the mill and in practice it has been found that it retains suflicient heat to enable it to be rolled to approximately 55 to of its finished length before its temperature drops to such a point that reheating of the metal is again required. These partially formed sheets are known as breakdowns, and in order to obtain the desired uniformity and finish to the finished sheet it necessary that these break-downs be put through a pickling operation to re move the scale and dirt from'their surfaces before. they are again reheated and passed through the machine to bring them to their final shape and thickness. l' i hile these break-downs, when discharged from the rolling mill are not sufiiciently hot to permit further rolling operations upon them to advantage, they are, nevertheless, in highly heated condition and the workmen who receive and handle them are not only subjected to severe manual labor, but are, in addition, exposed to the high heat of the break-downs.

The usual method followed by the workmen is to grasp the break-downs as they come from the mill by a pair of tongs and drag them across the floor and stack them horizontally in piles. When the break-downs have cooled off to a certain extent a pair of workmen, each provided with a pair of tongs, then pick up the sheets, usually a plurality at a time, place them on a cradle and turn them up on their edge into vertical position. These cradles are provided with rows of vertically disposed openings in which pins'or stakes are inserted, and in practice a row of pins is put at one edge of the cradle, approximately 20 break-downs are placed in vertical posi- V tion'as close as possible to the pin, and then another row of pins is put in so as to main- 138.111 the vertically positioned break-downs in their vert1ca'l positions. The operation 1s then repeated until the cradle is full of the break-downs, after which a crane or other deviceis employed to carry the cradle full of breakdowns to a suitable pickling bath where they are suitably exposed to the action of the bath 'to remove the scale of the dirt from the surfaces, after which they are rinsed and'are then ready to be carried to the reheating oven for the linal operations. The number of men thus required to take the break-downs from the rolling mill and place them in vertical position upon a cradle is relatively great and the men are required to stand relatively severe manual labor.

v The principal object of the present inven tion is to provide a machine by means of which both the number of men and the man s ual effort required by the men operating the same will be considerably reduced from that necessary in the conventional methods of accomplishing this operation.

Referring to the accompanying drawings I show in Figs. 1 and 2 a rolling mill indicated more or less diagrammatically as at 15, it being shown as being provided with a pair of rolls 16 which act to work the blanks down to the proper thickness, and the usual billy roll 17 on the discharge side provided for ease in manipulating the blank being worked upon.

Positioned on the discharge side of the rolling mill 15 and preferably to one side of the center thereof is a conveyor comprising essentially a frame 18 carrying at its upper sur-' face a plurality of rolls or rollers 19. The upper edge of the frame 18 preferably increases in height as it extends away from the mill 15 and the rollers 19 project a slight amount above the upper edge thereof so as to form the supporting means for sheets delivered to it. The'rollers 19, which are preferably supported by ball bearings (not shown) contained within the boxes 20, are preferably arranged in the manner best illustrated in Fig. 2; that is, the rollers 19 closest to the mill 15 are dis posed at an angle to the aXes of the rolls 16, and this angle gradually decreases until that end of the conveyor most remote from the mill 15 the rollers 19 are substantially parallel to the axes of the rolls 16. The reason for this is that the conveyor, being positioned to one side of the mill 15, as best illustrated in Fig. 2, in order to allow the workmen sufficient room to properly handle the sheets being rolled, is ofi-set from the centerline of the break-downs as they emerge from the rolls and it is therefore desirable that the breakdowns be moved centrally onto the conveyor. The break-clowns, one of which is diagrammatically illustrated as at 21 in Fig. 1 as being worked through the rolls 16 centrally thereof, emerges to one side of the conveyor so that one edge thereof only rests upon the conveyor.

In practice, when a break-down is to be removed from the rolls a workman grasps it with a pair of tongs and pulls it onto the conveyor, and because of the angular disposition of the rollers 19 closest to the mill the sheet is automatically moved sidewise as well as lengthwise over on the conveyor until by the time it reaches the upper end of the same it is centrally located thereon.

At the upper end of the conveyor is located what I prefer to term a table. This table comprises supporting legs 25, a pair of spaced horizontally extending top members 26 and 27, preferably of angle iron as best illustrated in Figs. 3 and l, these members being spaced substantially the same amount as the side members of the conveyor, and a pair of spaced cross members 28 and 29 preferably of chan nel iron and secured to the under face of the members 26 and 27 as well as to the corresponding legs 25. The angles'2 6 and 27 which are disposed with one flange extending horizontally and the other flange extending vertically upwardly therefrom as indicated in Fig. 4 are each provided with a plurality of disc-like rollers which may be secured to the vertically extending flange by means of pins such 23 and nuts 24. As indicated in Fig. 4, the rollers 30 project above the upper edge of the corresponding angles and as indicated in Fig. 1 serve to continue the supporting surface of the conveyor across the length of the table so that when the sheets of metal or breakdowns are pulled to the upper end of the conveyor their movement may be continued until they are centrally disposed relative to the members 26, 27, 28 and 29.v

As indicated best in Figs. 2 and 3, the channels 28 and 29 are extended beyond the angle 27 and at their ends are provided with suitable bearing boxes 31, between which is rotatably supported a shaft 32. The shaft 32 rotatably supports a frame comprising spaced parallel angle members 33 connected together adjacent their ends by the cross members 34. The width of this frame is slightly less than the distance between the channels 28 and 29, and the length of the same perpendicular to its pivotal axis is substantially wider than i the table. In other words, this pivotal frame cxtends'from a point adjacent the angle 26 to a point spaced beyond L116 ends of the chan nels 31. T his pivotal frame is provided along the angles 33 with a plurality of disc-like roll- 7 vided with a roller 38, the purpose of which will be presently described.

As best illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3 the floor 40 below the table portion of the machine is recessed as at 31, and positioned in this recess on either side thereof in a direction perpendicular to the face or left hand edge of the table as viewed in Fig. 3, is a pair of tracks 42. Secured to the side of the recess adjacent the outer edge of the tracks 42 is a pair of guiding and wear plates 43. A platform 44 provided with suitable wheels 45 resting on the tracks 42 is supported thereby with its upper surface in flush relation with the floor 40 and is guided at its edges by the plates 43. As best illustrated in Fig. 3 the platform 44 is provided at its front and rear edges with upstanding channel members 46, the height of the members 46 being such that a lifting truck such as 47 may be run under the platform 44 without its upper surface being exposed above the planebf upper surfaces of the channels 46. A cradle 50 of conventional construction and comprising a casting of plate-like form 'havinga plurality of series of openings such as51 therein, as best illustrated in Fig. 2, is sup ported by the upper surfaces of the channels 46 and bridges the space between them. This cradle 50 may be placed in position by placing it upon a truck such as 47, raising the truck in the conventional manner and running the truck in between the channels 46 after which the truck may be lowered so as to lower the cradle 50 onto the channels 46, after which the truck 47 may be removed, leaving the cradle supported in place.

The position of the platform 44, and con sequently the cradle 50, relative to the front or left hand face of the machine as-indicated in Fig. 3, is controlled in the following manner. A screw member 53 is secured against relative rotation to the left hand channel 46 and projects horizontally to the left, or in the path of movement of the platform 44 on the tracks 42. Adjacent the front of the machine a nut 54, best illustrated in Fig. 9, is received on the screw 53 and is maintained against axial movement by means of the spaced arms 55 and 56 of the supporting bracket 57. A gear 58 is secured against rela tive movement to the nut 54 as by means of screws 59 and is driven by means of the pinion 60. The pinion 60 is in turn secured for equal rotation to the spur gear 61 which in turn is driven by the pinion 62 secured to the shaft 63 of the electric motor 64. The electric motor 64 is connected in series with a source'of energy 65, a knifeblade switch 66 and a reversing switch 67 of conventional construction. When the switch 66 is closed it will be apparent that electrical energy is applied to the motor 64 which, acting through the various pinions and gears causes rotation of the nut 54 and consequently axial movement of the screw 53 which, in turn,

causes a corresponding movement of the plat-' form 44 andthe cradle 50 supported thereon.

The operation of the machine thus far described is as follows :-The reversing switch 67 is -moved to reverse position, the switch 66 is closed and the platform and cradle 50 are thereby caused to move to the left as viewed in Fig. 3 until they are positioned at their extreme left hand limit of travel, after which the switch 66 is opened an the switch 67 is moved to advance position. This brings the right hand end of the cradle 50 into position almost in vertical alignment with the roller 38 on the pivoted frame. Two or more pins or stakes such as 70 are then inserted in the openings 51 on the extreme right end of the cradle 50. Supposing now that-a break-down such as 21 in Fig. 1 is grasped by a workman and pulled up the conveyor. It will be apparent that it will first be moved laterally as Well as longitudinally until it reaches the upper end of the conveyor and upon further movement will be pulled upon the main portion or table of the machine in central position thereon.

As will be apparent because of the rollers 19 and 30, the physical effort required to move the sheet to this position will be'relatively small. As soon as the break-down has reached the position above'the pivoted frame, the handle 37 is grasped by a workman and is lifted upwardly. As Will be apparent from an inspection of Fig. 3, as the pivoted frame is lifted upwardly at the front end the sheet or break-down will be liftedthereby above 5 the angles 26 and 27 and the rollers30 carried thereby, and the weight of the breakdown will be shifted to the rollers 36 on the pivoted frame. As will also be apparent, as soon as the pivoted frame is pivoted to a sufficient angle the break-down will, by gravity, slide down the same until its right hand edge, as viewed in Fig. 3, strikes the pins 70 on the cradle 50. When the pivoted frame has been swung sufliciently the break-down 21 will slide down the pins 7 0 into contact with the cradle 50. In this position the break-down will be at a considerable angle to the vertical and, if the handle 37 is now grasped and the 3m pivoted frame is now brought back to horizontal position, the roller 38 contacting against the break-down 21 will, in moving upwardly, force the break-down into a vertical position as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 3. In this manner the break-down is brought to vertical position.

Suitable means such as will hereinafter be described are provided for retaining the break-downs in vertical position to which :40 they are moved as just described and if, now,

another break-down is brought up the conveyor and onto the table above the pivoted frame and the pivoted frame is again operated as before described, this break-clown will i be ultimately positioned in substantially contacting and parallel relationship with respect to the first break-down that has been deposited upon the cradle; This operation is repeated until a number of breakdowns, usually in the neighborhood of twenty in number, have been deposited invertical position upon the cradle and then another set of stakes or pins 70 are inserted in the next adjacent row of openings 51 so as to hold such brealn downs in vertical position. The platform 44 and cradle 50 is then moved rearwardly, or to the right as viewed in Fig. 3, an amount equal to the distance between the adjacent rows of openings 51 in the cradle 50.

The proper amount of movement of the platform 44 and the cradle 56 in each case may be more or less automatically regulatedin the following manner. A pin 72 of relatively small dimensions, but of suflicient diameter to be received in one of the openings 51 in the slide off of the same and its lower edge will cradle 50,is connected as by means of a cord 73 with the handle of the knife switch 66. It will be apparent, with this construction, that as soon as the switch 66 is closed and the motor 64 has moved the platform 44 and cradle 50 a distance sufficient to straighten out the cord 73, the blade of the knife switch 66 will be caused to open and consequently the motor 64 will stop at this point. In prac tice the length of the cord 73 is made such that the cradle 50 will stop in each case, with a row of the openings 51 therein in a predetermined relationship with respect to the roller 38. Consequently, after one stack of break-downs has been loaded on the cradle 50 and retained in place by additional pins 70 as described, the pin 72 may be removed and replaced in one of the next adjacent rows of openings 51, and thereafter upon closing the knife switch 66 the motor 64 will again cause the platform 44 and cradle 50 to move an amount corresponding to the distance between the centers of adjacent rows of openings 51 and thereby position the cradle 50 for another stack of break-downs to be deposited thereon in the proper relationship.

The means employed in connection with the stakes 70 to hold the break-downs 21 in vertical position after they have been placed on the cradle 50 will now be described.

Sec'ured to the rear channel member 46 as best illustrated in Fig. 3 by means of angles such as 7 5 are a pair of vertically extending channel members 7 6 positioned in back-toback but spaced relationship as indicated in Fig. 8. Vertically slidably received between the channels 76 is the enlarged end? 9 of an arm member 80 which extends horizontally forwardly over the table. The arm members 79-80' comprise a pair of plate-like members, best illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7, the outer and inner ends of which are maintained in spaced parallel relationship by means of spacers such as 81 and rivets 82 as illustrated in Fig. 6. The channels 76 are provided with a plurality of pairs ofvertically spaced openings 83, and the arm member 80 is pivotally connected to the channels 7 6 in vertically adjusted position by means of a pin 84 projecting through one of the pairs of openings 83 and through the enlarged end 79 of the arm 80. The arm 80 is thus tiltably supported by the channels 76 about the axis of the pin 84. The enlarged portion 7 9 ofthe arm 80 is provided with'a stop surface adapted to engage the forward faces of the channel 76 to limit downward swinging movement of the arm 80 to a horizontal position, as shown. It will be apparent that by removing the pin 84 the arm 80 may be shifted vertically an amount corresponding 1, with the distance between one or more :of the pairs of openings 83 and the pin 84 again inserted so as to permit the vertical position of the arm 80 to be shifted as desired, in order to take care of break-downs of difierent widths in the manner hereinafter described.

Pivotally secured as by means of a rivet such as 86 between the two parts of the arm member 80 is a plurality of triangular shaped latch members 87. These latch members 87 are pivoted adjacent one corner of the triangle and extend roarwardly, relative to the face of the machine, from the point of pivot. The upper rear corner of each of the latches 87 is bent over as at 88 so as to engage the upper edge of one of the parts of the arm member 80 and thus prevent the latch member 8? from swinging downwardly below a predetermined position as indicated in Fig. 3. There are as many latch members 87 located between the arm portions 80 as there are rows of openings 51 in the cradle 50, and the point of pivot between each of the latch members 87 is located in eXact accordance with the spacing of the various openings 51 in the cradle 50.

In operation, the latch members 87 are so arranged and the vertical position of the arm 80 so adjusted that when the break-downs 21 are swung upwardly into a vertical position by a return movement of the pivoted frame on the table, the upper edge of the breakdowns 21 will strike the lower edge of the latch 87 immediately above it which will cause the latch member 87 to pivot upwardly, in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 3, until the break-down 21 has passed beyond it, after which the latch 87 will, by gravity, drop back into its normal position and thereafter will serve as a stop for holding the breakdown 21 against falling back.

\Vhen the cradle has been loaded with break-clowns it is desirable to swing the arm upwardly out of possible contact with the load of break-downs so as not to interfere with the removal thereof, and inasmuch as the arm 80 is pivotally secured to the channel 76 this may be easily accomplished, but it ispreferable that some means be provided for temporarily maintaining the arm 80 in raised position and for this reason the following means are provided. A stop member 90 is secured to the upper edge of the enlarged end 7 9 of the arm 80 and is so located that when the arm 80 is swung into a vertical position, it will engage the rear face of the channels 76 and prevent further rotation in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 3.

In addition, the arm 80 is provided with a plurality of depressions 91 in its side face, these being shown as being formed in the ends of the pins 86 as best illustrated in Fig. 7, and regardless of the vertical position of the arm 80, when it is pivoted upwardly into vertical position, one of the openings 91 will be engaged by the spring pressed plunger 92 which projects through one of the channel members 76 and is guided in its movement in a cage93 enclosing the compression spring 9% which constantly urges the plunger 92 to projected position. By this means when the arm 80 is swung up into verticalposition the plunger 92, in engaging one of the depressions 91, will resiliently hold the arm 80 in its vertical position, and when it is desired to vertically aligned relation at the front ofv the machine. This feature of pivotally connecting the conv-eyorandtable not only allows the conveyor to be swung around intov substantially contacting relationship with the front face of the table so' as to leave the space about the rolling mill clear foreasein removing and inserting the rolls 16, but in addition permits the free end ofthe conveyor to be adjusted relative to the: rolling mill so as to better accommodate it to re: ceive the break-downs therefrom, in accordance with the particular width of such breakdowns then being run on the mill. However, in the broader aspects of the present invention the mode of connection, if any, be tween the conveyor and the table, is relatively unimportant.

It may be found in'some cases, particularly in connection with break-downs of unusual width, that an undue amount of effort must be expended by the operator in order to return the tilting table to its horizontal posi tion sufficiently quick to kick the break-down into vertical position, and in such cases constructions similar to those shown in 10, 1'1 and 12 may be employed to assist the return movement of the tilting table in this respect.

Referring to Figs. 10 and 11,7it will be noted that the ends of the bars 33 adjacent the back of the tilting table are bent downwardly as at 100. Instead of mounting the roller or rollers 38 directly between these ends, each of the ends is provided with a lever member 101 pivotally secured thereto by means of pins such as 102. The roller or rollers 38, depending upon whether one or more are employed, are pivotally mounted on the outer or upper ends ,of levers 101. The lower ends of the levers 101 are pivotally connected as by means of pins 103 to links 104, which, in turn, are pivotally connected at their opposite ends by means of pins such as 105 to, for instance, the legs'25,

or'other' suitable fixed points on the machine. In any case, the pivot pointsfor the pins 105 are below and preferably forward ly, relative to the face of the machine, from the shaft 32 upon which the table tilts; Furthermore, the links 104 areof such length that when the table is in its normal-horizontal position the roller or rollers 38 are positioned on an approximate level with the rollers 36, and project rearwardly of the machine beyond the ends of the bars 33. With this construction, it will be apparent that, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 11, as the table is tilted downwardly in order to deposit a break-clown upon the cradle 50, the levers 101 will be caused to rotate about their pivotal axis in a counter clockwise direction and the rollers 38 will be caused to approach the line of pivot of the table, or, in other words, to move towards the front of the machine. WVith this construction when the table is again returned to horizont'al position the levers 101 are caused to rotate in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 11 and act to throw the rollers 38 to the right as indicated in that figure, thus giving an added impetus or kick to the breakdown resting against the rollers 38 so as to move the break-down into vertical position.

A somewhat similar construction is illustrated in Fig. 12 which is the same as illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11 with the exception that the links 104 are replaced by links 106 which extend to a point adjacent the front of the machine. The front end of the links 106 are provided with elongated slots 107 in which are engaged pins 108 secured to a fixed part of the machine as, for example, the legs 25 as indicated. A coil spring such as 109 is preferably stretched between a part of the link 106 and a fixed part of the machine as, for instance, the channel member 29 as shown, so as to constantly urge links 106 to the right as viewed in Fig. 12. With this construction, and with the arrangement of parts shown, when the tilting table is tipped downwardly to deposit a break-down upon the cradle 50, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 12, the levers 101 are caused to first rotate in a counterclockwise direction until the rollers 38 contact with the bars 33, which thus limits further movement of the rollers in this direction. Upon further tilting movement of the table, the links 106 will move bodily to the left, the pins 108 sliding in the slots 107 to permit this movement. If, when the device is in this position (shown in dotted lines) and the table is then moved back to horizontal position, the first, movement of the table will cause the pin 108 to have a relative movement to the end of the slot 107 without any corresponding movements of the levers 101. The moment the pin 108 reaches the end of the slot 107, furthermovement ofthe table towards its normal position willcause a clockwise rotation of the levers 101 in the same manner as described in connection with Figs. 10 and 11. In this case, however, the shock of the pins 108 reaching the ends of the slot 107 will result in an impact of the rollers 38 against the break-down, which is highly advantaembodiment of the main features of the present invention in the accompanying drawings, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that it is susceptible to variousmodifications and changes without materially altering the invention disclosed therein, and formal changes may be made in the specific embodiment of the invention described without departing from the spirit or substance of the broad invention, the scope of which is commensurate with the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a handling means suitable for use in advancing hot break-clown sheets from a substantially horizontal position, as presented by a rolling mill, to a substantially vertical position upon a cradle: a substantially horizontal transfer table provided both with rolling means for directing said sheets as received, and with a tiltable frame which includes a portion disposable below the top of said table and a portion extending above said cradle; means for so actuating said frame as to dispose said sheets on said cradle in an angular position, and means for reversing the movement of said frame to have the laterally extending end engage said sheets and raise them to substantially vertical position.

2. In a handling means suitable for use in advancing hot break down sheets from a substantially horizontal position, as presented by a rolling mill, to a substantially vertical position upon a cradle: a substantially horizontal transfer table provided both with means for directing said sheets, as received, and with a tiltable frame which includes a portion disposable below the top of said table and a portion extending above said cradle; and means for so manipulating said frame and so guiding said sheet as to dispose the latter in the indicated position upon said cradle,said manipulating means comprising a handle which projects beyond an end of said table.

3. In a handling means suitable for use in advancing hot break-down sheets from a substantially horizontal position, as presented portion disposable below the top of said table and a portion extending above said cradle; and means for so manipulating said frame and so guiding said sheet as to dispose the lat ter in the indicated position upon said era-. 3

dle,said frame being pivoted below the top of said table, and said table and said frame being respectively provided with rollers whose axes are respectively at right angles to and parallel with the pivot of said frame and Whose top edges are in different planes.

4. In a handling means suitable for use in advancing hot break-clown sheets from a substantially horizontal position, as presented by a rolling mill, to a substantially vertical position upon a cradle: a substantially horizontal transfer table provided both with means for directing said sheets, as received, and with a tiltable frame which includes a portion disposable below the top of said table and a portion extending above said cradle; and means for so manipulating said frame and so guiding said sheet as to dispose the latter in the angular position upon said cradle, and to raise said sheet to a substantially vertical position when said frame is returned to its initial position.

5. In a handling means suitable for use in advancing hot break-down sheets from a substantially horizontal position, as presented by a rolling mill, to a substantially vertical position upon a cradle: a substantially horizontal transfer table provided both with means for directing said sheets, as received, and with a tiltable frame which includes a portion disposable below the top of said table and a portion extending above said cradle; roller means for directing said sheet laterally so as to dispose the latter in an inclined position upon said cradle when the frame is tilted, and roller means at the end of saidframe for raising said sheet to vertical position when the frame is returned to its original position.

6. In a handling means suitable for use in advancing hot break-down sheets from a substantially horizontal position, as presented by a rolling mill, to a substantially vertical position upon acradle: a substantially horizontal transfer table provided both with means for directing said sheets, as received, and with a tiltable frame which includes a portion disposable below the top of saidtable and a portion extending above said cradle; a cradle therebelow; driving means for moving said table and retaining it in advanced position, an electric motor for actuating said driving means, a switch controlling the energization of said motor, and means for actuating said switch to open position after each periodic advancement of said cradle.

7 In a sheet-handling organization com prising a transfer table adapted to receive therebelow a cradle which is provided with upwardly extending stakes: a tiltable frame so positionedand supported as to act as a lever of the second class in transferring successive sheets from said table to an inclined position upon said cradle, and thereafter to act as a lever of the first class in disposing therebelow a cradle which is provided with upwardly extending stakes: a tiltable frame so positioned and supported as to act as a lever-of the second class in transferring successive sheets from said table to an inclined position upon said cradle, and thereafter to e secured relatively to an edge thereof as to in- Q crease its radial distance from the axis of tilt of said frame while so disposing said sheets.

9. In an organization suitable for use in handling hot sheets and including a transfer element provided with means for disposing 5 successive sheets on edge a platform element having a plurality of spaced aligned apertures and movably secured with its upper surface substantially at' the level of a floor and movable longitudinally of said transfer element .3 and'a vehicular element movable to and from the platform element laterally of I its direction of movement and stakes selectively engageable with said apertures for spacing groups of said sheets. r 10. In an organization suitable for use in handling hot sheets and including a transfer eleinent provided with means for disposing successive sheets on edge: a platform element movably secured with its upper surface substantially at the level of a floor and movable longitudinally of said transfer element and a vehicular element movable to and from the platform element in a direction parallel to the longitudinal dimension of said table. 11, In an organization suitable for use in handling hot sheets and including a transfer element provided with means for disposing successive sheets on edge: a platform element movably secured with its upper surface substantially atthe level of a floor; and a vehicular element movable to and from the plat form element and provided with stakes positioned for engagement with said sheets, the platform element being provided with motordriven means for effecting an intermittent advance thereof and with means for automatically interrupting such advance after a predetermined number of sheets have been stacked to form a group.

12. In an organization suitable for use in handling hot sheets and including a transfer element provided with means for disposing successive sheets on edge: a platform element movably secured with its upper surface sub stantially at the level of a floor; a vehicular element movable to andfrom' the platform element and provided with stakes positioned for engagement with said sheets, overhead latch means provided with a plurality of pivoted detents for engaging the top edge of a sheet, and means for adjusting the position of said latching means above said platform. 13. In a device for moving flat sheets from a substantially horizontal position to a substantially vertical position including, in com bination, a longitudinally extending table, rollers on said table for advancing said sheets longitudinally thereof, a frame mounted for pivotal movement laterally of the longitudinal dimensions of said table and disposed below the surface thereof, and rollers on said frame disposed at right angles to said first rollers.

'14. In a device for moving fiat sheets from a substantially horizontal to a substantially vertical position, including, in combination, a longitudinally extending table, rollers on said table for advancing said sheets longitudinally thereof, a frame mounted for pivotal movement laterally of the longitudinal dimension of said table and disposed below the surface thereof, and rollers on said frame disposed for rotation at right angles to said first rollers and having the top surfaces thereof disposed below a plane tangent to the top surfaces of the. first said rollers.

15'. In a device for moving fiat sheets from asubstantially horizontal to a substantially vertical position, including, in combination, a longitudinally extending table, rollers on said table for advancing said sheets longitudinally thereof, a frame mounted for pivotai movement laterally of the longitudinal dimensions of said table and disposed below the surfaces thereof, a pivot for said frame disposed intermediate the ends thereof to have the frame project laterally of the table,

rollers on said frame disposed for rotation at right angles to the axis of said first rollers and having the top surfaces'thereof disposed below a plane tangent to the top edges of the first said rollers.

16. In a device for moving flat sheets from a substantially horizontal to a substantially vertical position including in combination,

a longitudinally extending table, rollers on said table, for advancing said sheet longitudinally thereof, a frame pivotally mounted intermediate its ends to the side of said table in such manner as to be tiltable laterally thereof, rollers on said frame having their axes at substantially right angles to the axis of the rollers on said table and a roller pivoted at the laterally extending end of the frame outwardly of the end thereof for engaging the sheets at substantially its medial point or thereabove for moving the sheet into substantially, vertical position when the frame is returned to horizontal position upon the table.

. 17. In a device for moving fiat sheets from a substantially horizontal to a substantially vertical position which includes, in combination, a longitudinally extending table, a laterally extending frame pivoted thereto and mounted on the table in such manner as to be co-planar therewith for receiving the sheets moved along said table, means for raising said frame about said pivot a distance suf- .ficient to cause-the plates-to slide therealong, and roller means mounted on the laterally extending end of said frame for engaging the sheet when the frame is tilted backwardly into horizontal position for forcing said sheet into a substantially vertical position.

18. In a device for moving flat sheets from a substantially horizontal to a substantially vertical position which includes, in combination, a longitudinally extending table, a laterally extending frame pivoted thereto and mounted on the table in such manner as to be the upper end of the sheet for permitting the sheet to be moved therebeyond and to prevent the sheet from moving in a reverse direction after the sheet has been moved by the roller on the laterally extending end of the frame.

J OHN HOMER STEELE. V 

